Members of Congress' Version of Christianity: “How Christian Lawmakers Missed the Opportunity to Be Christ-Like.”

By Royce Kennedy

Reflecting upon the impeachment trial of former President, Bill Clinton, and remembering that the House Managers who conducted the trial were introduced on prime time television as born again Christians my interest was perked.
I decided to watch the proceedings for the sole purpose of observing if these men would act the way we think Jesus would. The first thought that came to mind was the fact that the woman taken in the very act of adultery, under the Law of Moses should be stoned to death, and her accusers brought that fact to Christs attention. We know she walked away from the presence of Jesus alive and well, only being told to go and sin no more.
Another event that perked my interest was the fifty two million dollars White Water investigation that yielded nothing amiss against the Clintons. Because the trial was open to television cameras, before long it was evident that the accusers did not merely want to catch the president in a lie; obviously, they wanted to humiliate him in the meanest way, without giving any thought to the prestige of the Office of the President. The trial reminded me of the Merchant of Venice in which everyone wanted his pound of flesh, and the president sat in what looked like a pack of marauding hyenas closing in on a wounded deer or an antelope calf.
Because of the current hostile political climate in Washington these days, I had to extend my work to cover what it means to be called a Christian Member of Congress. The theme and conclusion are within that context, and it is hoped that many politicians and private citizens alike will benefit from this work.
It is intended for Christian lawmakers in Congress and every State House and Governors mansion in the union; in fact to Christian politicians in every country on earth with a desire to honor Christ by an exemplary life. It is not intended to force religion on anyone, or to promote membership in any established Church. The hope is that it will minister to personal spiritual needs.
My first two published books by PublishAmerica.com are Arlington National Cemetery Became My Classroom featuring my life story, and my 10 years of giving tours in Arlington National Cemetery. When Shall These Things Be? is an in-depth study of Daniels 70 weeks, and the prophecies of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 24.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483614595

Royce Kennedy

Royce Kennedy was born in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, in 1935, and was educated there. His grandmother was born in Scotland, and his great grandfather was an original Kennedy from Ireland. After attending bible school in the city, Royce immigrated to the U.K. spending his first two years in the City of Birmingham before relocating to London, where he began working for the post office. While in London, he was ordained to the ministry in 1968. This work is a candid analysis of what the gospel of Christ demands of every Christian; but in this case, more so of Christian Members of Congress, and Christian politicians everywhere. In 1983 Royce earned a Doctor of Divinity Degree from New World Bible Institute, Haiti, MO., and has since pursued a teaching ministry. Royce can also be accessed on Face Book, on You Tube, on Google, and on Amazon.

Book preview

CONTENTS

Preface

Dedications

Chapter 1 Scouring The Secular And Religious Landscape

Chapter 2 Naming The Founder Of Christinanity

Chapter 3 The Origin Of The Word Christian

Chapter 4 Why Dedicate A Book To Members Of Congress?

Chapter 5 What God Requires Of Lawmakers

Chapter 6 God’s Provision For The Poor

Chapter 7 Tempering Justice With Mercy

Chapter 8 Bringing Jesus Into Focus

Chapter 9 Resist The Money Trap

Chapter 10 One Person Can Make A Difference

Chapter 11 Become A Vessel Of Plenty

Chapter 12 Christ’s Mandate Is Now Yours

Chapter 13 God Commands National Bonevolence

Chapter 14 The Futility Of Wars

Chapter 15 God Places Mercy Over Justice

Chapter 16 Exuding The Virtues Of Christ Jesus

Chapter 17 Here They Come With Wrecking Balls

Chapter 18 The Embodiment Of Who You Are

Chapter 19 The Onus Is On You

Chapter 20 Life Is More Precious Than Real Estate

Chapter 21 When It Began And How It Will End

Chapter 22 What Ails Thee Hagar?

Chapter 23 Abolish Double Standard

Chapter 24 Called To Be Saviors

Synopsis Of This Book

Presenting a candid view of how Christian Members of Congress should perform their Constitutional duties, while adhering to the tenets of the Christian Faith that was initiated by Jesus Christ himself, and how they could have acted more Christ-like in the Clinton Impeachment Trial.

PREFACE

The defining word in the title of this book is Christianity. Second in importance is Members of Congress. This book is being directed expressly, first, to Members of Congress, and to Governors, Lieutenant Governors, County Executives, and Christian politicians at large.

As the title itself suggest, we must decide if there is only one version of Christianity, or several to choose from. It is important to note that no part of this volume is meant to disparage any individual member of Congress or any other elected official in any level of government.

The sentiments expressed and conclusions drawn will be based upon political news featured in the news media at large, and from opinions aired by political commentators with insider’s connections to Capitol Hill Politics; and shall not be vague inferences or allusions on my part.

It should be understood that the policies and behavior of politicians do not necessarily reflect the personal character of the individual; who, for the most part, are committed to serve the good of all citizens within the perimeter set by the established political system.

The motivation for this work comes from the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton; only because the house managers who conducted the trial were publically announced on prime time television news as being Born Again Christians. That statement alone perked my interest in the trial. This begs the question; How would Jesus have dealt with the entire impeachment trial?

In fact, would he have called for such a trial in the first place, based upon the evidence collected at that time?" How would Jesus deal with our current economic crisis? How would Jesus have dealt with Saddam Hussein and other world dictators?

This work will be done against the backdrop of the teachings of Jesus Christ and biblical principles over all. It will not encroach upon the rights and practices of non-Christian politicians; neither is this work meant to be a tool for evangelism on behalf of any religious sect or entity. The issue of religion came to the forefront in the 2008 Presidential Election because among the candidates running for office was a Baptist Minister and a declared Mormon.

Religion became more dominant and more visible because of the high profile of a group called the C Street Group. This is an address in Washington DC where certain members of Congress live as a home away from home. They conduct bible classes on a regular basis and join in prayer to God asking his divine guidance and intervention into their public agenda. Within the framework and confines of the Federal Government, prayer is not outlawed and is practice just about every day at the White House; on Capitol Hill; and in many public ceremonies.

Seemingly, the line of demarcation between Church and State has steadily grown dimmer over recent years as more politicians seeking office are willingly expressing their faith in God. In spite of crusades and expensive court actions to try and remove God and Jesus Christ from the American lexicon, true Christian values and practices will endure because they build and sustain prudence and character. The greater percentage of American citizens and others living here, still appreciate the practice of the President ending his speech by saying: God bless you, and God bless America.

DEDICATIONS

I want to thank my wife Judy for her continued help in shaping and structuring our daily routine, so as to afford me the space and time to complete this work. It is time consuming to do all relative research and personally type this volume. I also must thank my twin boys Joseph and Paul for their help, in, and around the home while I remain engrossed in this project.

Although I say it often, I think it is appropriate to offer thanks to my heavenly Father for his love and care for me over the years of my life so far. I was disowned by my father at the age of 6 months and grew up with adopted parents. At the age of thirteen I contracted pneumonia and was in a coma for three days and three nights. Because of the illness of both adopted parents I was taken out of school at the age of 14 to do all the domestic chores around the house.

At sixteen years old I left my country village and traveled 75 miles back to Kingston, [Jamaica] where I was born, and began pounding the city streets each day under a blazing tropical sun looking for work. Even under pressure and in times of my personal rebellion against what I thought to be God’s lack of speed in responding to my prayers, the teachings of my early years kept me within arm’s length of the Lord himself.

From those early days in Kingston until today, people have crossed my path, and have opened doors to me. The Lord placed me in the ministry at an early age, and brought me to America as a minister of the gospel. The task of settling in a strange country with a wife and three children was daunting to say the least. But members of the Body of Christ came forward in many ways and helped us find a home, and a job. Sadly, many of these wonderful people have passed on leaving me only with their memory.

CHAPTER 1

SCOURING THE SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE

Before I venture any further into this work, perhaps it will help to offer a little tit-bit about my other works and this information will be repeated later on. These can be accessed at www.godfire.net/kennedy. You will find subjects dealing with many aspects of one’s life, and what we can expect in future years.

At this website you will also find details of my first two books published by PublishAmerica.com. They are; Arlington National Cemetery Became My Classroom and When Shall These Things Be? which is an in-depth study of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks prophecy, combined with the prophecies of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 24. Both books are now available on Amazon, Google, and from the publisher.

As stated before, what caught my attention and perked my curiosity was the fact that the men who stood to face Bill Clinton were publicly touted in prime time news, to be Born again Christians and this was emphasized by the news caster as he ended the segment by saying: These are all born again Christians.

As we stroll down the years to this day, we are faced with many of the same Christian lawmakers, but have been served a pill that is too bitter to swallow. Today, the mention of the word Christianity is linked to preachers screaming hell fire and brimstone.

Just as it is with Islam, Christianity, seemingly, has been taken over by extremists who are sure that when they condemn people to hell, for whatever reason, they are doing God’s will. But even some murders on death row said God told them to commit murder. This work will present a different face to Christianity, hopefully, the way Jesus Christ intended it to be.

Seasoned members of Congress are retiring, mostly because of the gridlock and bitter rivalry among politicians, especially the freshmen that resulted from the recent election. As we gaze in total disbelief at the news headlines with our mouths agape, we stand totally mesmerized and in a state of shock to watch the games being played in Congress.

What befuddles me is the fact that each member of Congress is well educated; some with a number of different degrees, and many have practiced law for years. But having arrived in Congress, and in a short time see how the game is played, much of what was said on the campaign trail simply vanished into thin air, or became irrelevant.

What we are now seeing in our daily news casts could be called a game of chicken a game of brinksmanship or simply irresponsible, reckless, and in some radical circles, is unbecoming of members of Congress, deemed to be Christians.

The worse part in the awful scheme of things is that these obstructionists claim to know Christ as Savior, even taking active roles in their local church back home. Seemingly, the daily mantra and mindset of many in Congress is to win at any cost. That means moving relentlessly ahead with any plan that will secure victory, no matter who, or how many are crushed in the process. Here is my take! People who will do anything to achieve power, and will do even more to hold on to it, have a serious character deficit.

This applies to members of any political party and in the business world. Many great civilizations crumbled and faded away, lost in the ashes of antiquity because they were power struck. Their own power consumed them, as is suggested in the case of ancient Pompeii.

This dissertation is based upon lawmakers own public claim to be followers of Christ. This is where I find an opening to more closely scrutinize the issue of being a Christian. No matter what one’s vocation in life happens to be, the teachings of Christ that form the foundation of the Christian faith are simple and well documented in the biblical narrative.

In this treatise, my observations will be from the scriptures, using them as templates for the performance of Congress as highlighted in daily briefings and headline news. My critique will be collectively applied to members of Congress, and Christian lawmakers in all levels of government. The standard against which all things will be measured will be the teachings of Christ; and in that context we are left with the all abiding question; How would Jesus do it?

This work will spend much time in highlighting the difference between Christianity and all other religions. It is intended to bring all concerned, back to where, and when, they first believed in Christ as Savior. It is an effort to once again examine the intricacies and dynamics of Christian life as it relates to those who formulate and introduce new laws, from whence the success or failure of this country is determined.

Seemingly, based upon our system of interpretation, what we usually call Christianity has been segmented into myriad pieces. We seem able to dissect, weave and reshape what the bible said to fit our agenda or personal set of beliefs. I think that the term Christian is being used like a name tag that one puts on after registering at the front desk of an international convention, or a summit in Geneva or Oslo, Norway.

Instead of being influenced by Christianity, we have managed to influence its image and distort its true meaning. But as we shall see, the word Christian is never meant to be a name plate, a tag, or to be utilized for political expediency.

It is not contingent upon the whims and impulses birthed within the soul of the carnal mind of self-interests at the expense of others. The word stands head and shoulder above fraternities, and myriad of religious orders.

If your focus is centered on the great religions of the world, you are faced with a delightful smorgasbord of prominent world religions, capable of teasing even your most discriminating taste buds. I do not embrace religions as we know them today, because each one seems to be the brain-child of a single person, (except Jesus Christ) who, seemingly meant well and perhaps had a most ambitious and auspicious vision in mind.

Seemingly, because of a system of succession, the most prestigious aspects slowly dissipate, leaving only a distorted shadow of what used to be and what was actually intended by the founders.

Although it is informative to do a short study of all the great religions of the world, this work will focus on the teachings of Christ, since Christian lawmakers most certainly embrace his teachings.

However, to fully grasp the import of Christianity we must go back in time when God began to deal with ancient Israel, which typified his dealing with the Church as we know it today. A quick glance through the pages of the four gospels and the Book of The Acts of the Apostles; will highlight the unbreakable link between Judaism and Christianity.

Christ himself was said to be the son of David and is addressed in Revelation as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Even the sign placed above his head on the cross called him King of the Jews. His disciples were Jews, drawn from varied backgrounds, with a number of them being fishermen based in Bethsaida not far from the Sea of Galilee.

Since we are addressing those members of Congress who publicly claim Christ as Savior, and in doing so, seem to suggest a willingness to adhere to his teaching, we want to determine without any doubt, how many versions of Christianity there are. In the field of computers and their many accessories, each year we are offered a different or upgraded version of software products.

Many products on the market offer a wide choice of available versions, but when we consider Christianity as offered and built by Christ himself the question becomes: How many versions are there? Can we window shop for Christianity?

We should always be cognizant of the fact that America’s foreign policies do impact other nations, on the basis of currency, trade, military, and other aspects that relate to the quality of life the peoples of the world enjoy.

This is why it is important to under-score and put under scrutiny the form of Christianity that is embraced by Christian members of Congress; and for that matter, Christian lawmakers in all levels of government. Tell me what a man believes, and I will tell you what he is capable of doing.

We are obligated to believe that the version initiated by Jesus Christ is the only one that will produce optimum results as intended by the Lord. But we should remember that when Christ walked the earth and preached the gospel, the term Christian was still unknown, and was introduced many years after Christ.

CHAPTER 2

NAMING THE FOUNDER OF CHRISTINANITY

One dominating fact that is reflected in the pages of history is that many founders of what became popular in later years were honest and even pure in their thoughts and motives. But as time elapsed, motives, intentions, and actions slowly slipped into a complete relapse and in some cases, total distortion of what was originally intended.

Of late, we stand amazed as we listen to politicians standing in the front of national television cameras, telling us what the American people want; but in truth, it is really what that politician wants, in the name of the people. They simply create selling points or catch phrases, like the campaign theme Contract with America.

The party that introduced this brilliant phrase did not get my vote, so in truth they had no contract with me because I did not sign on to it. Usually a contract is between two or more people. It makes us think of the multitude of criminals who commit crimes in the name of God.

This is not a new phenomenon as we can see in the case of the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7: 57-59. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city and stoned him calling upon God. History is replete with religious wars, murders and even genocide conducted in the name of God.

I have said in many sermons that religion seems to divide people more than politics. Some years ago, while traveling from a suburb of Belfast, Northern Ireland, to another city many miles away we passed through a small town.

My host pointed out to me that for more than twelve years, people on the right side of the street had not spoken to those on the left side of the street. One side housed Catholics and the other side accommodated Protestants.

To properly understand the characteristics of rivers we must go to their source, such as the Mississippi, the Nile, or the Zambezi that begins in the foothills of Zambia, and empties itself in the Indian Ocean at the mighty Victoria Falls.

In the face of political controversies and perhaps to gain advantage, of late, many politicians are referring to the ideals and intentions of the Founding Fathers. Of course, since these Fathers are a long time gone, their intentions are now being shaped by personal agendas and even the cunning craftiness of slick politicians.

Instead of referring to the Founding Fathers of these American States, to properly assess and validate Christianity we must refer to its founder, the man Jesus himself.

One of the good things about this effort is that his teachings are readily available at our finger tips. The version of the gospels that we got is very limited, but it is enough to be life changing and profitable.

I must reiterate the fact that this work is based upon Christian teachings and principles as invoked by members of Congress themselves. We are putting what they claim to be, against what the founder of Christianity demands of all those who would invoke his holy name, and not take his name in vain.

The basic understanding of what it means to be a Christian is that it is not a title, not a club, and certainly not a fraternal organization. It is not a mere banner under which we stand or a slogan for an upcoming political campaign.

Being a Christian means adopting one’s self to a uniquely ordered life. What it boils down to is partaking of the divine nature and not merely invoking Christ’s name when it is expedient to do so.

Jesus Christ is called the author and finisher of our faith; also the captain of our salvation. Outside of Christ there can be no salvation, as determined by the heavenly Father. Of course, on this point, many have a diversity of personal views.

This work will focus on the following concepts that will be repeated more than once depending on their clarity and importance. There will not be a chronological order in this discourse, so we will free-wheel our way forward.

We will review the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, simply because of the religious overtones that were woven into the fabric of the case. A full discussion of the case will be forth coming later on in this work. In the meantime let us ask ourselves this important question: Who does God prefers to be rulers in the earth? Does his choice contradict the myth of the Separation of Church and State? What provisions did God put in place to provide for the wellbeing of the poor, the strangers in the land, the widows, and the fatherless?"

Was this a passing reference, or was it a direct command? Who really does rule in the kingdom of men? Finally, when Christ returns and all nations are gathered before him, what will he be requiring of us above all things?

Let me repeat that my personal observations and comments will be garnered from daily news headlines. Also, if my personal observation seems to be critical of Congress as an elected body, individual politicians are not singled out for blame.

My findings will focus collectively on the Congress of the United States, including Christian lawmakers in other levels of government. I do not practice law; my vocation is to minister the gospel of Christ within the capacity that the Lord endowed me with.

But if anyone is paying close attention to the gridlock and party sniping in Washington politics, it is enough to make us hold our nose and turn aside, hoping that the next election will clear the air so we can breathe easily again.

Men and women endowed with great moral fortitude, come to Washington endeavoring to make a difference, so as to enhance the lives of every American.

It seems to me that in spite of integrity and good intentions, these good people quickly realize that real power is not usually seen on display in the halls of Congress.

The interests of the NRA [National Rifle Association] and special interest groups will most likely get the nod and a good hearing in Congress because of their lobbying strength.

Because of these lobbying strengths the results for certain organizations are a foregone conclusion, and the rest is simply going through the required legal motions. Real power on Capitol Hill comes from the engine that functions from behind the scene, much like the K Street Project and to succeed one must play by their rules.

Christ taught love and forgiveness, and how to temper justice with mercy. He gave priority to the poor, the sick, and the homeless. His open invitation was to all those who were heavy laden and needed to find rest, not only for their tired bodies, but rest